Developer looks toward Cramerton for project

By Amanda Memrick

Published: Saturday, October 6, 2012 at 09:58 PM.

Town Attorney Bill Brown cautioned the board that even though they were discussing a potential development before any paperwork had been submitted, the developer could request a conditional-use permit or require a quasi-judicial hearing where testimony is heard and witnesses are called. In those kinds of hearings, the board would have to make a decision based only on the evidence at the hearing and not any opinions they had formed beforehand.

“If you’re going to speak to a project and sort of say, ‘Yes, bring this forward’ or not, even if you do this in a preliminary fashion, you just need to be very cautious that it doesn’t get too murky too quickly,” Brown said.

You could reach reporter Amanda Memrick at 704-869-1839 or follow @AmandaMemrick on Twitter.

A private development firm has been checking out Cramerton’s downtown as the potential site of a mixed-use development.A firm has been gathering information about whether building a development that would offer commercial space and residential apartments might be feasible. The parcel targeted for the project is owned by the city.

“There’s nothing that has been submitted to the town as a formal application,” said Town Manager Michael Peoples.

Peoples wouldn’t identify the developer.

Cramerton owns nearly half an acre of land beside the Masonic Lodge where the amphitheater and green space are located. That’s the piece of land the developer has expressed an interest in.

“Is there a strong interest on the board to even entertain that?” asked Town Commissioner Sam Carpenter at Tuesday’s Town Commissioners meeting. “I don’t know how much interest we have in giving away a big piece of property.”

Town Commissioner Tammy Lawrence said the proposal is so preliminary at this point that commissioners can wait to hear more about the development.

“I think I’ve been the largest proponent of maximizing our green space, and that’s been a big concern of mine. But I do want to hear this out. I think that private development was one of our goals when we spent $500,000 of public funds on renovating downtown,” said Cramerton Town Commissioner Will Cauthen. “I don’t think it was just for the existing infrastructure that’s there commercially.”

Town Attorney Bill Brown cautioned the board that even though they were discussing a potential development before any paperwork had been submitted, the developer could request a conditional-use permit or require a quasi-judicial hearing where testimony is heard and witnesses are called. In those kinds of hearings, the board would have to make a decision based only on the evidence at the hearing and not any opinions they had formed beforehand.

“If you’re going to speak to a project and sort of say, ‘Yes, bring this forward’ or not, even if you do this in a preliminary fashion, you just need to be very cautious that it doesn’t get too murky too quickly,” Brown said.

You could reach reporter Amanda Memrick at 704-869-1839 or follow @AmandaMemrick on Twitter.